Ordo Dracul Beat Sheet
Beat Sheets are ways to gain extra beats (experience) to spend on your character, by delving further into the character's nuances and by giving storytelling staff more handles to interact with your character. This Beat Sheet is available to members of the Ordo Dracul. Non-Dragons may receive up to five Beats from questions on this sheet, if they are appropriate and have not been answered elsewhere. Ordo Dracul Beat Sheet (Fifteen Beats) The Ordo Dracul have three goals, as a covenant: the betterment of the vampiric condition, the amassing of an individual's supernatural power, and the defeat of God. 'Rites of the Dragon '(One Beat) For the Ordo Dracul, Rites are like denominations - they are the road map for How To Be A Dragon. A given Academy follows a certain rite, which individual Dragons don't necessarily have any say over, but that doesn't stop them from privately believing one rite is right. Which rite do you follow? (One Beat) *The Wallachian Rite is the orthodox faction, which adheres almost verbatim to the Rites of the Dragon, including keeping the Order as a secret society. *The Philadelphian Rite openly admits the existence of the covenant and its general purpose to other Kindred. *The Damascene Rite emphasizes submission and obedience to the covenant's elders. *The Palatine Rite seeks to crush the Circle of the Crone and explore the use of Cruac for the Great Work. *The Oriental Rite emphasizes the importance of mysticism and non-Western ideas over the practical sciences. 'The Great Work '(Eight Beats) The betterment of the vampiric condition is frequently known as The Great Work, and occupies the bulk of the covenant's active attention. There are a variety of methodologies Dragons use to help them achieve this Great Work: *Alchemy reduces all material things to their fundamental elements and uses those as building blocks. Alchemists study blood, flesh, bone and brain to further the Great Work. These Dragons are the ones with bubbling crucibles and esoteric formulae, a cutting-edge science from hundreds of years ago. *Modern and Pseudo-Science use the scientific method - observation, hypothesis, prediction, and experimentation - to further the Great Work. These Dragons are the mad scientists who work in sterile white laboratories, dissecting the supernatural to find scientific explanations and writing experiments to test their theories. *Mesmerism and Parapsychology explore the interactions between the mental and the physical worlds. These Dragons work in quiet rooms, monitoring weather patterns and lunar cycles, using simple equipment like Zener cards and flash paper. *Theosophy and Pseudo-Psychology promote transcendence through purging oneself of troubles and impurities. These are the Dragons who use past-life regression, lucid dreaming, and vision quests, or counseling, hypnosis, and dream analysis. *Ritual Invocation and Spiritualism use traditionally occult means such as ritual magic and séances to further the Great Work. These Dragons are the robed cultists, collecting magical artifacts and occult tomes. Which method or methods do you use? Why that one? Explain the theory behind your approach. (Two Beats) Describe an experiment you have done to better understand your own vampiric condition. (Two Beats) The end point of the Great Work is transcendence, but different Dragons have different views on what that means. *Angelics believe that knowledge is the key to transcendence, which is another step along the evolutionary road to godhood. *Devourer Worms believe that purging themselves of human weakness is the key to transcendence, which will make them the perfect predator. *Arahats believe that karmic balance is the key to transcendence, which is Nirvana/Golconda. *Liches believe that understanding how things work is the key to transcendence, which is complete and unassailable control of themselves, others, and their environment. *Eleusinians believe that understanding the nature of death is the key to transcendence, which is freedom from mortal constraints. *Chthonians believe study of cosmic, Lovecraftian horrors are the key to transcendence, which is ascension to their plane of existence. *Agnostics believe transcendence will improve their lot, but are less concerned with what they will actually become when they have succeeded. What does transcendence mean to you? How will you achieve it? What do you think it might look like when you get there? (Two Beats) How does this belief influence your research? How does it influence your Danse on a nightly basis? (One Beat) The Ordo Dracul seek to improve themselves. What does an improved but pre-transcendent version of yourself look like? What changes are you are trying to achieve within yourself? How will you know when you've made progress? (One Beat) 'Personal Power '(Two Beats) What have you focused on so far in your quest for supernatural power? Why that thing, or those things? (One Beat) Describe how you learned one Coil or Discipline level you possess. (One Beat) 'God '(Two Beats) To the Ordo Dracul, God is an enemy. God is unjust. God is senile. God is mad. God must be torn down from his throne. What do you mean when you say 'God'? How do you feel about God? Why? How did your stance on God change due to becoming a vampire? (One Beat) What influence do your feelings and opinions on God have on your studies? What influence do they have on your interaction with other Kindred? (One Beat) 'The Sworn '(Two Beats) *The Sworn of the Axe are the military branch of the Order. The Axe are oathbound to defend their fellow Dragons and the secrets of their Academy even if it costs their own lives. *The Sworn of the Dying Light are the academic branch of the Order. The Dying Light dedicate themselves to unlocking the Coils of the Dragon. *The Sworn of the Mysteries are the political branch of the Order. The Mystery-sworn make policy decisions for their Academy and guide the Ordo Dracul's relationship with other covenants. If you are Sworn, what drew you to that branch of the Order? If you are not Sworn (and most low-Status Dragons are not), which branch interests you the most? (One Beat) Whose job is the most interesting? Whose job is the hardest? Which privately has your greatest respect? (One Beat) Category:Ordo Dracul Category:Beat Sheets